


At Least We're In Good Company

by violasarecool



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Chronic Pain, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Nonbinary Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 05:57:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17441225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violasarecool/pseuds/violasarecool
Summary: kord is a biotic with an L2 implant and a side of debilitating chronic pain. some nights are worse than others





	At Least We're In Good Company

**Author's Note:**

> kord uses it pronouns

"Hey, Shepard, you up?" Joker called as he approached Kord's office, the halls around him completely empty—unsurprising, given the late hour. "Pressly said he saw you like half an hour ago so I figured..." 

The door slid open automatically as stepped into range. There was faint light coming a lamp on the far side of the room; he froze as he registered Kord hunched tightly on its bed, white knuckles clenched against scarred thighs. "Shit," Joker breathed, "should I get Chakwas? I mean _jesus_ I didn't think it was possible for you to get any paler—"

_"No."_

The word came out harsh, ragged like Kord had been breathing heavily. Joker winced. "Are you sure?" he said, but he was already stepping back into the room, mouth pursed. God knows he'd had enough people trying to tell _him_ what he needed over the years; he was _not_ going to be that person to Shepard. "Do... do you want me to go away?"

Kord's eyes dropped to the floor, but it didn't say anything. 

Joker took another step into its room, and the door slid shut behind him. "Can you _talk?"_

"Fuck you," Kord muttered.

Joker gave a quiet laugh. "Yeah, okay." He inched around its desk, stopping beside its bed before gingerly lowering himself down to sit beside Kord. "When I'm having a bad pain day, I like to blast music so loud I can barely think straight," he said. "Though, now that I'm saying that, I, uh, realize that might not be so good with the headaches thing. So forget that, I guess." Kord didn't say anything, didn't even move to acknowledge it had heard. He gave Kord a sideways glance, gut twinging as he noted the deep purple under its eyes, cheeks gaunt in the low light. "Anyone ever tell you look like shit?"

This time Kord made a low noise, a huff of air that could have passed for a laugh. Joker's mouth twitched. "I know everyone thinks you're like a paragon of perfection, or whatever, but you look like you've been sleeping on your eyeshadow for 3 days, and I've seen your morning routine, I know you don't wear any."

"Could try makeup remover," Kord mumbled, voice scratchy, and Joker grinned.

"For your _eyebags?_ I mean, you could _try._ Try being the operative word here, at this point you might just need _bleach._ "

Kord tipped its head in agreement—then winced at the motion.

 _Ah. Fuck._ Joker lifted a hand toward Kord, then thought better of it, bringing it back just as Kord moved again; their arms collided with an audible _smack_. "Ow, dammit!" Joker yanked his arm back, cradling it in his other arm as he checked to make sure he hadn't broken anything. _That'd be just my luck._

"Joker?" Kord said, brows low as it watched him run tentative fingers along his arm.

"It's... it's fine," he determined. "Guess you don't get to see me shatter any bones today."

Kord made a low noise in reply. Then, a moment later, it made another, this time closer to a laugh. "We're a fucking mess, aren't we."

 _Speak for yourself,_ Joker wanted to say, _I'm a goddamn treasure._ But this was _Kord;_ proud, snappish, wary Kord; and he was sitting on its bed in the middle of the night while it bit nail marks into its own skin from the pain. And there was no one else on this damn ship that even came _close_ to understanding that.

"Yeah," Joker finally said. "But at least we're in good company."

The ship wasn't exactly quiet even at this time of night; but sitting there in relative silence, Joker appreciated its rumbling creaks and groans even more for their capacity to fill the empty spaces. As Kord shifted restlessly beside him, it was comforting to hear the pulsing thrum that told him his ship, _their_ ship, could manage a little longer on her own while her crew pieced themselves back together.

"Joker?" Kord murmured, arms pressed around its sides now as it stared down at the dull bedsheets.

"Yeah?"

"Talk."

Joker gave it a slow grin. "You _want_ me to ramble at you? See, this is why I like you. Alright," he said, shifting backwards until his back hit the wall, "let's see. You weren't there when Kenneth and Gabby were arguing earlier, were you? Well, first of all, Ken was _wrong,_ so you can tell him that the next time you see him. But Gabby had this neat idea about the stealth field drive..."


End file.
